Sir Clive Woodward and Eddie Jones, verbal sparring partners when they were respectively in charge of England and Australia at the start of the decade, are the leading candidates to become the Rugby Football Union's first elite director of rugby after Nick Mallett and Warren Gatland withdrew their interest.

Mallett, the former South Africa coach, and Gatland, who spent three successful years in charge of Wasps before returning to New Zealand last year, were the first to inquire about the position when it was created six weeks ago. They let their interest be known within 24 hours but, now they have told the headhunters hired by Twickenham to draw up a short list of candidates of their withdrawal, a revised list of names will be given to the RFU chief executive Francis Baron sometime this week.

Woodward, who faces being marginalised at Southampton after Rupert Lowe resigned as the football club's chairman two weeks ago, and Jones, who has just taken charge of Queensland Reds after being sacked by Australia in December, are the biggest names in the hat. However, it is believed the headhunters will recommend that two Premiership directors of rugby be interviewed, Newcastle's Rob Andrew, who has distanced himself from the job, and Leicester's Pat Howard.

The RFU advertisement drew some 25 responses and the union gave the headhunters five names - Woodward, Jones, Mallett, Gatland and Gloucester's director of rugby Nigel Melville - that it wanted sounded out. The job, the first of its kind in world rugby, encompasses every aspect of the representative game in England, taking in what will become the Under-16s, Under-18s and Under-20s, as well as England A and the senior team.

Whereas the RFU's performance director Chris Spice, who left Twickenham at the end of the May after the review into England's poor Six Nations season, was paid a salary of £175,000, the elite director of rugby will earn around £300,000 a year, with the exact amount to be determined at the interview stage.

The successful candidate will oversee England's head coach Andy Robinson and join the four-strong management team in selection meetings. One of the review's findings was that England's selection policy under Robinson needed to be reviewed, a concern reinforced during England's two-Test tour to Australia last month.

After the trip Robinson was put on the spot by the RFU about why certain players had been left out of the first international and others had been dropped for the second. One of the elite director of rugby's briefs will be to report back to the union and explain decisions made in selection meetings.

Woodward was linked with the position even before it was officially announced when his position at Southampton was threatened. However, some at Twickenham feared a return of the knight would lead to a deterioration in the already poor relations with the leading clubs and wreck the possibility of a negotiated settlement over the control and management of elite players.

The RFU will be in the high court tomorrow to answer Premier Rugby's contention that, under the 2001 long-form agreement, clubs do not have to release players for next November's extra international at Twickenham when New Zealand will help celebrate the re-opening of the ground's south stand. The RFU now believes that, as it is approaching the issues over leading players from the opposite direction to the clubs, there is almost no prospect of achieving anything more than a meeting in the middle and repeating the open-ended compromises which blighted the 2001 agreement.

Woodward's follow-me approach is no longer seen as a handicap, even if his policy when he was the England head coach of spend, spend, spend has been replaced by budgetary constraints. But there is also a lobby in support of Jones, who impressed when he became Saracens' caretaker coach last February and steered the side away from the threat of relegation to mid-table security, and both Andrew and Howard have an intimate knowledge of players in the Premiership.

Mallett was a strong contender but he wants to keep his options open as South Africa's coach Jake White is expected to be sacked soon in light of the South African Rugby Union's refusal to extend his contract beyond next year's World Cup and the Springboks' 49-0 humiliation by Australia on Saturday. Meanwhile Gatland, who coached Ireland for three years, also has ambitions to coach at international level again.

The RFU hopes to start interviewing before the end of this month but it looks unlikely to achieve its aim of having someone in place by the beginning of September.

Situation vacant

A big name to restore England to the position they occupied in 2003 and bring feuding clubs into line.

The successful applicant must get involved at all levels of the game, starting from the Under-16s to identify stars of the future, and must have a track record at club/provincial and international level.

Leadership skills are essential and being English would be an advantage, though with a salary of £300,000 the job is so important that even a Scotsman would be considered.

The candidates

Sir Clive Woodward Age 50

Experience Former England and Lions centre, he coached London Irish and Bath before taking charge of England for seven years from 1997. Landed the 2003 World Cup, ending 16 years of southern hemisphere domination. Renowned for his lateral thinking.

Prospects Opinion divided at Twickenham because of the acrimonious manner of his departure in 2004, but he has been quoted as privately saying that he felt the job description had been written for him.

Unofficial odds to land the job 3-1

Eddie Jones 46

Experience Uncapped hooker who had a stint with Leicester in 1991, he coached ACT Brumbies to the Super 12 title before taking charge of Australia. Lost to England in the 2003 World Cup final and was sacked in January for poor results. Took charge of Saracens last February with notable success. Now with Queensland Reds.

Prospects Renowned for his organisational skills. Officials at Twickenham were impressed with the impact he had on Saracens.

Odds job 4-1

Jake White 42

Experience Current Springboks coach, he guided South Africa Under-21s to World Cup success five years ago. Reports in South Africa say he has been interviewed by the headhunters hired by the RFU, but there is a feeling at Twickenham that White was using the whole business - unsuccessfully - to get a new contract from the South African Rugby Union.

Prospects Has the credentials of the others, if not the knowledge of the game in England, but is an outsider.

Odds 6-1

Pat Howard 33

Experience Youngest of the main contenders. The former Australia centre, who first played for Leicester in 1998, coached the Tigers in 2000 before resuming his international career. Known as an innovative thinker, he also has experience in the business world.

Prospects He would start as an outside bet, but Twickenham has said that interviews will be the key part of the process, not CVs.

Odds 9-2

Rob Andrew 43

Experience Won 71 England caps at fly-half. Andrew, right, has been Newcastle's head coach for more than 10 years, and was called in by Twickenham six years ago in an attempt to find a solution to the club-v-country problem.

Prospects Has brought several young players through at Newcastle, Mathew Tait being the latest. More likely than Woodward to broker a deal with the Premiership clubs. Distanced himself from the job initially, but some at HQ believe it is time to look forward.